Mo Vaughn homered twice Thursday night and Tim Wakefield won for the first time this season as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Texas Rangers 8-3. Troy O'Leary homered for the third consecutive game for Boston, which won two straight for just the second time this year. The Rangers had posted the best record in baseball before their current four-game losing streak. Vaughn hit a three-run homer in the sixth to make it 7-2 and then added a solo shot in the eighth--his 10th consecutive time reaching base.

Brian Daubach snapped out of a slump with two homers and six runs batted in and Tim Wakefield (3-5) gave up nine hits and walked none in 7 1/3 innings as the host Red Sox broke a five-game losing streak. Inside pitch: Boston, however, extended a dubious club record streak of allowing homers in 14 consecutive games.

Wilton Veras drew a bases-loaded walk to break an eighth-inning tie and host Boston rallied to beat Minnesota. Tim Wakefield (1-0) earned the victory with one inning of scoreless relief. Derek Lowe pitched the ninth for his second save. Inside pitch: The Red Sox remained the only team in the majors that hasn't stolen a base.

Wendell Magee drove in the tying run in the seventh, then hit his third homer of the season in the top of the 12th. Tim Wakefield (1-2) gave up two hits and no runs in his first 4 2/3 innings before Magee's homer to left. Inside Pitch: Of Detroit's 24 homers, 17 have come with the bases empty.

Darryl Strawberry homered and Eric Davis had four of a season-high 15 hits by Los Angeles as the Dodgers ended a four-game losing streak and Pittsburgh's four-game winning streak. The barrage made it easy for Orel Hershiser (2-1), who allowed six hits in six innings. Strawberry homered off Tim Wakefield (1-2) to break a 1-1 tie in the fifth. Brett Butler broke the game open with a three-run triple in the sixth.

"I don't believe it's appropriate to search anybody--either his home, or his garage, or his trunk, or his bladder or his bloodstream--without getting a court order showing probable cause." --Marvin Miller, former players' union head "The new baseball drug policy is still a joke. The question is why do they not ban stimulants?" --Victor Conte BALCO founder who has been indicted for allegedly supplying steroids to athletes "It's more for our protection than anything else."

Tim Wakefield allowed two hits in 7 1/3 innings, baffling the Athletics with his knuckleball as his comeback continued. Boston scored in the fifth on Reggie Jefferson's leadoff single, Mike Greenwell's double and a sacrifice fly by Tim Naehring to the wall in left field. Wakefield went 8-1 for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1992, but was 5-15 in the minors last year. He worked with former knuckleballers Phil and Joe Niekro after being signed by the Red Sox in late April.